Unit Biology 3: Section 13.4

How do exchanges in the kidney help us to maintain the internal environment in mammals and how has biology helped us to treat kidney disease?

• To evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of treating kidney failure by dialysis or kidney transplant
• People who suffer from kidney failure may be treated either by using a kidney dialysis machine or by having a healthy kidney transplanted
• A kidney transplant enables a diseased kidney to be replaced with a healthy one from a donor. However, the donor kidney may be rejected by the immune system unless precautions are taken
• To prevent rejection of the transplanted kidney:
  • A donor kidney with a 'tissue-type' similar to that of the recipient is used
  • The recipient is treated with drugs that suppress the immune system.